Baggage



FGb- 7,

I E. W. HOWLAND and:

Filed Juno, 2, 1926 4 INVENTOR. [KW/IV If. flOlVlfl/VQ.

ATTORNEY.

i it

Patented F b. 7, 1928.

um'rrszu STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BAGGAGE.

Application med mm 2, 1926. Serial no. 118,138.

My present invention relates to improvements 1n hand baggage andparticularly to those articles des1 ated as suit cases and it has forits ob ect to provide a novel inyention .I have shown it as applied to asuit case which is rectangular in outline, the body or shell beingformed of two end panels 1, a top panel 2, and a similar bot- ERWIH W.HOWLANDQOF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIG NOR TO HENRY LIKLY AND means ofapplying ,a coveringmaterial to tom panel. The closure or cover of thecase 60 1s 0f similar shape, one of the end panels being indicated by 1and the top panel by the box or shell, whereby the corner edges may beunited to provide a cushion for the corner edges of the shell which actsas 'a protection forv those portions most liable to injury and alsoprovides means whereby the stitching of. said parts is protected and apleasing appearance of the article is obtamed.

The invention also has for its object to of forming an interlockingconnection between the uniting edges. of the two top panels of the bodyandcover portion of a suit case, whereby the cover assistsin suportingthe load when the case is suspended y the handle, said connectionbetween the parts-also serving to prevent the top panel of the body fromsagging or being crushed. To these and other ends my invention consistsin certain additional improvements all of which will be furtherdescribed, the novel claims.

- In the. drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of a suit case constructed in. accordancewith. my invention.

features being pointed out in the appended 2 is an enlarged transversesectional view taken on theline 2"- x of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the channeled edge ofa panel and themethod of uniting the pieces of covering; material. toprovide the cushion edge.

ig. 4 is an interior longitudinal view of the grooved edge of thecovertop panel,

' rial is comparatively thin and when the use of a filler is notdesired.

In the several figuresfsimilar characters indicate similar parts. 4 .Inconstructing a piece of baggage in accordance with my invention, Iprovide two similar-l -sha ed parts oneof which comprises t e y, and theother fitted there- 2: The body and cover are united by a suitable hingejoint located along the consuitable locking devices attached to theirtwo top panels.

In accordance with my invention the provide as a further featureeanewmeans frame panels are made of light but strong outer faces of the sameto enable the meet-' ing edges of the covering material to beaccommodated, thus insuring that these edges, which are usually united bstitching, will be placed between the'p anes including these faces.outer or surrounding corner edges of the several body and cover panelsmay be chamfered or channeled more or less as indicated by 3 in Figs. 2and 3.

' The coverin consists of a continuous strip of maternal wrapped aroundthe exterior faces of the several panels, as indicated by 5, and a sheet6 which forms a wall and covers the area bounded by the several panelsof the open frame. meeting. ed es of the'surrounding strip and Tofacilitate this, the

The

dicated by 5, and 6 in Figs, 3 and 5, and

preferably unitedfiy a row, or rows, of

stitching. I If the-covering material is comparatively thin, a veryslight depression willusually be suflicient to accommodate the joinedand;

turned edges, or an arrangement without any depression, as shown in"Fig. 5, may be satisfactorily emplo ed. In this construc- .tion, theedge of eit er the anel tr p 5 body sheet 6, may be fol ed under andturned down upon the other, theflpanel strip edge being so shown herein,and the two members-stitched together neartheir edges. In this way theedges will extend inward- In illustrating my lyand; occupy 'a portionbetween the inner 9 with other objects.

and outer. planes or'fa'ces of the panels, thus protecting the stitchingand the combined thickness of the material will provide in effect acushion surface along the edge of each panel which will prevent thebruising or cutting of said material'when' contacting Furthercontmumgtheidea of providing a cushion edge I have shown a very practicalarrangement which consists generally. in including between the inturnededges, before referred to, a filling strip for increas ing the plies ofmaterial which may also embody the use of a, tubular strip, indicated byBaggage of the character described often breaks down and loses itsoriginal neatap- :pearance due to the fact that the load is carriedwholly by the top panel to which the handle 9 is attached. Thispanel,*due to its larger area, is also the one that is often crusheddown or forced inwardly by being stacked in shipment with otherarticles. To

' minimize these difliculties. I provide at the t V meeting edges of-thebody and cover poring panel of the body and tions of the case aninterlocking tongue and groove connection, whereby part of the loadcarried by the top panel, in one instance,

tending'to spring-the panel outwardly, is sustained by the top panel ofthe cover and.

in the other instance a force tending to move said panel inwardly isresisted. -These featnres are accomplished by forming the top panel of.the cover with a lip 10 fitting over or outside of a tongue 11 on thecorrespondproviding a reinforcing-strip 12 which is attached to theinner side of the cover panel and has an offset edge 12" which passesinside or below'the tongue 11 to receive the thrust of the lat ter ifthe panel 2 is moved inwardly.

The reinforcing strip 12 .'s preferably se cured to the inner surface ofthe top panel of the "cover throughout its lengthby gluing and ifdesired other fastening means may.- be utilized; Iv also deem itpreferable to make the reinforcing strip of greater thickness than thetop panel to which it is secured and to extend it for substantiallv thefull length thereof, its. ends beingbeveled as shown in Fig. 4: tofacilitate the overlaying of the covering material.

' Hand baggage constructed in accordance withmy invention presents aneat. attractive. wappeal-anee'and retains its original shape" panelswitha substantially continuous piece even under severe use. The coveringof the of leather, fabric 'or other suitable covering .ihclosed betweensaid edges and posltione wall sheetextending over the area um.-

. The invention having been described, what 75 I is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a suit case, the combination with a frame comprising top, bottomand" end. panels, having a substantial thickness, of a strip of coveringmaterial overlying said panels and a wall sheet extendin across thespace bounded by said panels, e edges of said strip and the edges of thewall sheet-being turned inwardly and united by a seam,- said edges lyingbetween the planes formed b the inner and outer faces of said panels andforming a cushion.

2.: In a 't' case, the combination with a rectangular frame having aedge, of a continuous. strip surrounding the frame and a wall sheetcovering the ai'ea inclosed by the frame, said strip and 'sheet beingugited by a seam lying within said 8 geo 3. In a suit case, thecombination with an open frame composed of panels, having a substantialthickness, of a covering therefor comprisinga wall sheet covering thearea inclosed by'the frame and a; continuous stripof similar materialsurrounding the panels, the contiguous edges of the sheet and stripbeing turnedinwardly and united by stitching'to form a seam said edgeslying between the inner and outer surfaces of the respective panelpieces of the frame. v

4.In a s "t case, the combination with an open frame composed of panelsof substantial thickness, of a covering oomprisin a wall sheetextendingover the area boun ed by the frame and a covering stripoverlying the panels, said strip and "wall sheet havin their meetingedges turned inwardly an united by stitching and acushioning stri 115 atthe edge of the panels of the frame.

'5. In a suit case, the combination with an open frame composed of rigidpanels of substantial thickness, of a covering com a walljsheet'extending over the area ed'bythe frame and a covering overlying'thepanels, said strip and W sheet having theirmeeting edges united and afillmg strip secured'betweensaid' forming a cushioning edge loca edgesof the rigid panels.

- 6. In a suit case, theeombination with an .open frame-composed ofpanels of snbstam tial thickness, of-.a covering comp m a m Q thef mmeanti 1; eove'ring s t ripweverlying surrbunding the panels and a wallsheet oev- 10 the panels, said strip and wall sheet having ering. thearea inclosed thereby; said stri their meeting edges turned inwardly anand sheet having their meeting u tum united by stitching and a.foldedstrip mclosinwardly and seemed together an lying in 5 ing afilling having its edges. secured between the chamfered'portion of thepanels. said inturned edges. This specification and 7. In a suit case,the combination with t -this 19th day of May,"'1 frgm'e compq sedof,panels, the outer corners v b cf which are chemierethof acoirering stripv .4 'ERWIN W. ROWLAND;

